On Government Crowding Out | The Research Program of Robert Higgs

F. A. Hayek Program Associate Director Christopher Coyne recently sat down with the 2015-2016 F. A. Hayek Distinguished Visiting Scholar Robert Higgs for a wide-ranging interview on his career and research. Professor Higgs is also Senior Fellow in Political Economy for The Independent Institute and Editor of the Institute’s quarterly journal The Independent Review.

In this video, Professor Higgs discusses one of the main takeaways from his study of historical episodes such as the Great Depression and World War II. He argues that when the government engages either in warfare, defense, or security, it has to pull real resources out of the private sector and divert them away from otherwise productive activities.